A1 Gerunds & Infinitives 1 min read سهل

The Infinitive Form (Ku-)

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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

The 'Ku-' prefix turns any verb into a noun, acting like the English '-ing' form or 'to + verb'.

  • Add 'ku-' to the verb root: 'soma' (read) becomes 'kusoma' (to read/reading).
  • Use it as the subject of a sentence: 'Kusoma ni vizuri' (Reading is good).
  • Use it after another verb: 'Nataka kusoma' (I want to read).
Ku- + Verb Root = Infinitive (e.g., Ku- + -pika = Kupika)

2. Negative Infinitives

Prefix Negative Infix Root Result
ku-
-to-
soma
kutosoma
ku-
-to-
pika
kutopika

Infinitive Formation

Prefix Verb Root Infinitive Meaning
ku-
soma
kusoma
to read
ku-
pika
kupika
to cook
ku-
imba
kuimba
to sing
ku-
la
kula
to eat
ku-
fanya
kufanya
to do
ku-
enda
kuenda
to go

Meanings

The infinitive form acts as a verbal noun, representing the action itself rather than a specific person doing it.

1

To + Verb

Expressing an action to be performed.

“Nataka kula.”

“Anapenda kuimba.”

2

Gerund (-ing)

Using the action as a noun.

“Kucheza ni furaha.”

“Kulala ni muhimu.”

Reference Table

Reference table for The Infinitive Form (Ku-)
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
ku- + root
kusoma
Negative
ku- + -to- + root
kutosoma
Subject
Infinitive + ni + adjective
Kusoma ni vizuri
Object
Verb + Infinitive
Nataka kusoma
Question
Je, + Subject + Infinitive?
Je, unapenda kusoma?
Short Answer
Infinitive
Kusoma.

طيف الرسمية

رسمي
Ningependa kula.

Ningependa kula. (Ordering food)

محايد
Nataka kula.

Nataka kula. (Ordering food)

غير رسمي
Nataka kula.

Nataka kula. (Ordering food)

عامية
Nataka kula.

Nataka kula. (Ordering food)

The Infinitive Tree

Ku- (Infinitive)

Actions

  • Kula To eat
  • Kucheza To play

Nouns

  • Kusoma Reading
  • Kulala Sleeping

أمثلة حسب المستوى

1

Nataka kula.

I want to eat.

2

Napenda kusoma.

I like to read.

3

Kucheza ni vizuri.

Playing is good.

4

Anataka kulala.

He wants to sleep.

1

Kutosoma ni kosa.

Not reading is a mistake.

2

Tunajaribu kuimba.

We are trying to sing.

3

Kupika kunachukua muda.

Cooking takes time.

4

Anapenda kutembea.

She likes to walk.

1

Kutosafiri kumenifanya nichoke.

Not traveling has made me tired.

2

Kujifunza Kiswahili ni safari ndefu.

Learning Swahili is a long journey.

3

Anakataa kusema ukweli.

He refuses to tell the truth.

4

Kufanya kazi kwa bidii ni muhimu.

Working hard is important.

1

Kutokujua lugha ni kikwazo kikubwa.

Not knowing the language is a big obstacle.

2

Kupanga safari kunahitaji umakini.

Planning a trip requires attention.

3

Anajaribu kutokufanya makosa.

He is trying not to make mistakes.

4

Kusoma vitabu kunapanua akili.

Reading books expands the mind.

1

Kutokubaliana na maoni yake ni haki yako.

Disagreeing with his opinion is your right.

2

Kujitolea ni sifa ya kipekee.

Volunteering is a unique quality.

3

Kutokujali kwake kumesababisha matatizo.

His indifference has caused problems.

4

Kutekeleza sheria ni wajibu wa kila mtu.

Enforcing the law is everyone's duty.

1

Kutokuthaminiwa kwa sanaa ni janga la kijamii.

The lack of appreciation for art is a social tragedy.

2

Kujitambua ni hatua ya kwanza ya hekima.

Self-awareness is the first step of wisdom.

3

Kutokubalika kwa hoja hii ni dhahiri.

The unacceptability of this argument is evident.

4

Kujenga umoja kunahitaji uvumilivu.

Building unity requires patience.

سهل الخلط

The Infinitive Form (Ku-) مقابل Infinitive vs. Present Tense

Learners mix up 'Kusoma' (to read) and 'Ninasoma' (I am reading).

The Infinitive Form (Ku-) مقابل Infinitive vs. Noun

Learners forget that infinitives ARE nouns.

The Infinitive Form (Ku-) مقابل Negative Infinitive

Learners use 'si' for negation.

أخطاء شائعة

✗

Soma ni vizuri

✓

Kusoma ni vizuri

Missing the 'ku-' prefix for the noun form.
✗

Ninakusoma

✓

Ninasoma

Confusing the infinitive with the present tense.
✗

Si kusoma

✓

Kutosoma

Incorrect negative formation.
✗

Kupika ni nzuri

✓

Kupika ni kuzuri

Incorrect agreement for Class 15.
✗

Anataka kusoma vitabu

✓

Anataka kusoma vitabu

Actually correct, but learners often forget the object.
✗

Kutopika ni vibaya

✓

Kutopika ni kubaya

Incorrect agreement.
✗

Kusoma ni ngumu

✓

Kusoma ni kugumu

Incorrect agreement.
✗

Kutosoma kwake ni tatizo

✓

Kutosoma kwake ni tatizo

Often learners struggle with possessive agreement.
✗

Kupenda kwangu ni kuimba

✓

Kupenda kwangu ni kuimba

Correct, but learners avoid it.
✗

Kutokufanya kazi ni vibaya

✓

Kutokufanya kazi ni kubaya

Agreement error.
✗

Kutokubaliana kwao ni dhahiri

✓

Kutokubaliana kwao ni dhahiri

Agreement with complex subjects.
✗

Kujitolea ni sifa nzuri

✓

Kujitolea ni sifa nzuri

Correct, but learners often use wrong class.
✗

Kutokujali ni jambo mbaya

✓

Kutokujali ni jambo baya

Adjective agreement.

أنماط الجُمل

Napenda ___.

___ ni vizuri.

Nataka ___.

___ ni muhimu kwa maisha.

Real World Usage

Social Media very common

#Kusafiri na marafiki.

Texting constant

Nataka kula.

Job Interview common

Napenda kufanya kazi kwa bidii.

Travel common

Nataka kuenda Nairobi.

Food Delivery common

Nataka kupika chakula.

Academic common

Kusoma ni msingi wa elimu.

💡

Always check the root

Make sure you have the correct root before adding 'ku-'.
⚠️

Don't forget the negative

Remember to use '-to-' for negative infinitives.
🎯

Use it as a subject

Start sentences with 'Kusoma' or 'Kupika' to sound more natural.
💬

Listen to music

Many Swahili songs use the infinitive in their choruses.

Smart Tips

Start with the infinitive.

Napenda kusoma. → Kusoma ni furaha yangu.

Use the infinitive if you aren't talking about a specific time.

Ninasoma. → Kusoma ni muhimu.

Always remember the '-to-' infix.

Si kusoma. → Kutosoma ni vibaya.

Use the infinitive to define concepts.

Kazi ni nzuri. → Kufanya kazi ni wajibu.

النطق

/ku/

Ku- prefix

The 'u' is a pure vowel sound, like 'oo' in 'boot'.

Statement

Kusoma ni vizuri ↘

Neutral tone for statements.

احفظها

وسيلة تذكّر

Ku- is like a 'glue' that turns a verb into a noun.

ربط بصري

Imagine a 'Ku' sticker being slapped onto a verb, turning it into a solid, heavy noun block.

Rhyme

Add a 'ku' to the start, now the verb is a noun, smart!

Story

Juma wants to cook. He says 'Nataka kupika'. Cooking is his hobby, so he says 'Kupika ni furaha'. He doesn't want to stop, so he says 'Sitaki kutopika'.

Word Web

KusomaKupikaKulaKulalaKuchezaKufanya

تحدٍّ

Write 5 sentences about your day using the 'ku-' form for every activity.

ملاحظات ثقافية

Infinitives are used frequently in formal speeches to define national goals.

In Sheng (slang), infinitives are sometimes shortened.

More traditional usage, often used in proverbs.

The 'ku-' prefix is a Proto-Bantu noun class prefix for Class 15.

بدايات محادثة

“

Unapenda kufanya nini?

“

Kusoma ni vizuri?

“

Unataka kusafiri?

“

Kufanya kazi ni muhimu?

مواضيع للكتابة اليومية

List 5 things you like to do.
Why is learning Swahili important?
Describe your daily routine.
Reflect on the importance of hard work.

أخطاء شائعة

Incorrect

صحيح

Incorrect

صحيح

Incorrect

صحيح

Incorrect

صحيح

Test Yourself

Fill in the blank with the correct infinitive.

Nataka ___ (kula).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: kula
The infinitive is 'ku-' + root.
Correct the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Soma ni vizuri.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kusoma ni vizuri
Needs 'ku-' prefix.
Choose the negative form. اختيار متعدد

What is the negative of 'kusoma'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: kutosoma
Negative uses '-to-'.
Reorder the words. Sentence Building

vizuri / ni / Kusoma

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kusoma ni vizuri
Standard structure.
Match the infinitive to its meaning. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: To cook, To read, To eat
Direct translation.
Convert to infinitive. Conjugation Drill

Root: -imba

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: kuimba
Add 'ku-'.
Make negative. Sentence Transformation

Kupika.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kutopika
Use '-to-'.
Is this true? True False Rule

The infinitive is a noun.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: True
It belongs to Class 15.

Score: /8

تمارين تطبيقية

8 exercises
Fill in the blank with the correct infinitive.

Nataka ___ (kula).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: kula
The infinitive is 'ku-' + root.
Correct the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Soma ni vizuri.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kusoma ni vizuri
Needs 'ku-' prefix.
Choose the negative form. اختيار متعدد

What is the negative of 'kusoma'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: kutosoma
Negative uses '-to-'.
Reorder the words. Sentence Building

vizuri / ni / Kusoma

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kusoma ni vizuri
Standard structure.
Match the infinitive to its meaning. Match Pairs

Match: Kupika, Kusoma, Kula

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: To cook, To read, To eat
Direct translation.
Convert to infinitive. Conjugation Drill

Root: -imba

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: kuimba
Add 'ku-'.
Make negative. Sentence Transformation

Kupika.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kutopika
Use '-to-'.
Is this true? True False Rule

The infinitive is a noun.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: True
It belongs to Class 15.

Score: /8

الأسئلة الشائعة (8)

It is the marker for the infinitive form in Swahili.

Yes, it acts as a Class 15 noun.

Insert '-to-' between 'ku-' and the root.

Yes, constantly.

Present tense has a tense marker like '-na-'.

Monosyllabic verbs keep the 'ku-'.

Yes, but use Class 15 agreement.

It is neutral.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Infinitive (-ar, -er, -ir)

Swahili uses a prefix, Spanish uses a suffix.

French moderate

Infinitive (-er, -ir, -re)

Swahili infinitives function more like nouns.

German moderate

zu + infinitive

Swahili 'ku-' is a prefix, not a separate particle.

Japanese low

Dictionary form

Japanese has no prefix for this.

Arabic moderate

Masdar

Arabic Masdar formation is complex and varied.

Chinese low

Verb base

Chinese verbs are invariant.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Connected Grammar

Verb Roots

Prerequisite

You need the root to form the infinitive.

Present Tense

Builds On

The next step in verb usage.

Noun Classes

Similar

Infinitives are Class 15 nouns.

Adjective Agreement

Advanced Form

Needed for describing infinitives.

Previous
Verb Stems and Roots
Next
Basic Sentence Structure (S-V-O)
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